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In an interview with France 24, the head of the Blue Helmets, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, assures that the Lebanese want “us to remain on the ground” after the end of UNIFIL, scheduled for December 31. He recognizes that after budget cuts of 25% due to American unpaid bills, the UN is “less able” to protect populations.
On the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, UN deputy secretary general for peace operations, says he is ready to maintain a presence in Lebanon after the end of the UNIFIL mandate, while Israel is demanding its departure. He indicated that he had proposed to the Security Council a presence based on “a function of both observation and reporting”, with the decision remaining “in the hands of the Security Council”. “I think it is clearly a wish not only of the Lebanese authorities, but of the Lebanese population that we remain on the ground,” he assures.
Also readLebanon: post-UNIFIL under discussion in Paris
“Less able to protect vulnerable populations”
The head of the Blue Helmets quantifies the consequences of partial payment from Washington, the largest financial contributor: a reduction in capacity “of around 25%”, or some 13,000 to 14,000 fewer personnel. “Where vulnerable populations are present, we are less able to protect them, either because we have closed a camp or because we have to reduce patrols,” he explains.
Finally, when asked about the three billion dollars in American arrears, he refuses to make the United States an adversary. According to him, Washington remains “an essential partner in UN peacekeeping”, which has supported the extension of most mandates. In the DRC, Washington is even at the origin of “an essentially American request to extend the mandate” of MONUSCO. “You see that reality is nuanced,” he summarizes.
Text by Sophian Aubin
